Now, I do not think of myself as a reckless person, in fact, I feel I'm the opposite in most situations. I carefully examine my position and cautiously proceed only when I feel all is "safe". Or at least I thought this was my view of life, at least compared to those who participate in ultimate sports like skydiving or skateboarding, or wind surfing.
So why would a 63 year old "skinny" female buy a dirt bike and attempt riding dirt trails, some with rocks and protruding tree roots? What kind of conservative lady would do that? Me? Yes, me! So am I, then, a closet daredevil? I began to reflect over the years of some of my past "exploits" and finally came to the conclusion that, yes, I am a daredevil or at least I possess a daredevil gene somewhere in my makeup. Here's the proof:
-Growing up on a farm in Iowa we relished our bag swing in the barn. Summers were spent swinging from one side of the barn to another jumping or rather diving across the open spaces grabbing onto a rope suspended from the rafter attached to a straw stuffed bag. Your legs would encircle the bag while you hoped you could hold on until the bag swung over the ledge where you'd jump to safety. I was known as the one who would jump the farthest and pile onto at least four other riders before letting go and landing either on the ledge or plummeting down to the barn's floor.
-During two summers of my college years I worked on my aunt's dude ranch in Wyoming as a horse "rangler". I rode a wonderful horse named "Boy". He was a barrel racer and a cutting horse, which means he was trained to cut cows away from the herd. Both of these skills defined him as a fast horse. And I rode him fast when I actually got to "cut" some cows with a local cowboy. I still remember the thrill of galloping Boy along side a real cowboy, the wind pushing my cowboy hat back on my head, the adrenaline tightening my hands on the reins. Barrel racing was also a stunt I tried now and then in my free time.
-Iowa farm girl marries New York city "slicker"-is that a daredevil move or what! Ha!
-Living 3 years in Beijing, China: riding taxis with drivers who had no idea where you wanted to go, teaching English to Chinese nationals, shopping in local markets while attempting to speak Mandarin, navigating a culture full of a multitude of taboos.
-Scuba diving-me? Never! I get seasick. But wait a minute. My husband is doing it and loving it. What am I missing? OK-try it. I did. I got sick but wouldn't give in and pushed my way through the classes, got certified and went on my first dive. Got sick again! But I refused to give up. Tried it again and again and finally had success with lots of meds and grit. Going 100 feet under and discovering a sunken ship-another adrenlin rush worth all the hardships getting there!!
-Dirt bike in the hands of a retired teacher-safe-no-fun-yes!
I guess sometimes I do dangerous things and I may be a bit reckless but that is what makes life exciting. If each of you honestly examines your life I bet there would be at least one example of a daredevil stunt in it somewhere.
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